Style: Belgian Pale Ale
All StylesStyle Profile based on 874 recipes
BU:GU
0.49
Hops
3.7 g/L
Mash pH
5.58
Description
A moderately malty, somewhat fruity, easy-drinking, copper-colored Belgian ale that is somewhat less aggressive in flavor profile than many other Belgian beers. The malt character tends to be a bit biscuity with light toasty, honey-like, or caramelly components; the fruit character is noticeable and complementary to the malt. The bitterness level is generally moderate, but may not seem as high due to the flavorful malt profile. History: Produced by breweries with roots as far back as the mid-1700s, the most well-known examples were perfected after the Second World War with some influence from Britain, including hops and yeast strains. Style Comparison: Fairly similar to pale ales from England (Strong Bitter category), typically with a slightly different yeast character and a more varied malt profile. Less yeast character than many other Belgian beers, though.
Examples: De Koninck, De Ryck Special, Palm Dobble, Palm Speciale
- 67% Pale (64%)
- 59% Crystal (8%)
- 57% Pilsner (76%)
- 53% Toast (13%)
- 26% Wheat (11%)
% of Belgian Pale Ale recipes using each malt category (addition % in brackets)
g/L · median with IQR range
- 23% Saaz (CZ)
- 12% East Kent Goldings
- 12% Styrian Golding
- 10% Magnum (GR)
- 9% Cascade
- 7% Hallertau Mittelfrüh
- 6% Fuggles
- 5% Tettnanger
- 5% Southern Brewer
- 5% Citra
% of Belgian Pale Ale recipes using each hop
g/L · median with IQR range
dated Belgian Pale Ale recipes with at least one dry-hop addition
- 10% Belgian - Pilsner
- 8% Pilsner (2 Row) Bel
- 8% Belgian - Biscuit
- 6% Belgian - Pale Ale
- 6% Caramunich Malt
- 6% Aromatic Malt
- 6% German - Pilsner
- 5% American - Pilsner
- 5% Biscuit Malt
- 5% Munich Malt
Colour = malt category · bar = % of recipes
- 7% Belgian Ale (M41) Mangrove Jack
- 6% Belgian Ardennes (3522) Wyeast Labs
- 6% SafBrew Specialty Ale (T-58) Fermentis
- 5% Safale American (US-05) Fermentis
- 4% SafAle English Ale (S-04) Fermentis
- 3% Safebrew Abbey Ale (BE-256) Fermentis
- 3% Belgian Ale Yeast (WLP550) White Labs
- 3% Belgian Ale Yeast (1214) Wyeast Labs
- 2% Belgian Golden Ale Yeast (WLP570) White Labs
- 2% Trappist Ale (WLP500) White Labs
% of Belgian Pale Ale recipes using each strain
- 75% Single Infusion
- 21% Step Mash
- 4% Decoction
163 recipes with mash data
- 75 ppm Ca²⁺
- 5 ppm Mg²⁺
- 10 ppm Na⁺
- 75 ppm Cl⁻
- 75 ppm SO₄²⁻
- 100 ppm HCO₃⁻
median across recipes with a declared water profile
Similar Styles
Ranked by similarity across OG, IBU, ABV, hop rate, and grist composition.